A RUNNER was left in shock after she was stopped by police over her jogging outfit which doesn’t fit the “typical” runner’s mould.
Layla Eshow, 43, set out on her usual looped route which starts and ends at her home near Avalon Beach in Sydney’s north.
But shortly after 12:30pm, as she crossed Barrenjoey Road, two police officers approached and asked if she was alright.
They explained that a concerned local had called, worried she might be in trouble – or pose a risk to the community.
Reflecting on the event, Eshow recognised that while the caller’s intentions were good, she felt judged for not looking like a conventional runner.
“I think people are really familiar with, you know, the runner’s physique… they’re super lean,” Layla told Yahoo News.
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“They can wear tiny little shorts. They can wear crop tops, and that’s fine, because they’re runners.
“But if a chunky lady wears little pants so she doesn’t get chafing, and wears a T-shirt because she doesn’t want the tan lines… that makes it a little bit different from someone else’s perspective.
“They saw me as a fat person who’s not a runner.”
Eshow had been wearing running shoes and sweatbands but admits it wasn’t the standard “running attire” most people expect.
Despite the unusual stop, she was able to laugh about it with the officers.
In a post to a local community group – which has now received over 600 reactions and 180 comments – she shared a photo posing with smiling police officers and reassured everyone that she was okay.
Hundreds of responses praised her efforts, with one person writing, “U r an inspiration to so many young women out there!”
Another commented, “To be fair, those shorts look like underwear.
“A concerned citizen may have thought you were trying to escape a dangerous situation.
“No harm done by looking out for each other.”
New South Wales Police confirmed that officers performed a welfare check on Barrenjoey Road on Thursday.
“About 12:25pm on Thursday 23 October 2025, officers attached to the Northern Beaches Police Area Command were called to Barrenjoey Road, Avalon Beach, following a concern for welfare by a member of the public. Officers spoke to a woman with no further police action,” a spokesperson said.
Eshow believes this incident reflects broader “misguided beliefs” about runners and women exercising.
While running has grown in popularity across Australia, the sport can still present challenges for women wanting to run solo.
“There’s always an alternative reality to the gazing eye,” Eshow said.
“The minute you have boobs and thighs, you’re sexualised, or you’re seen as a threat.
“I just want people to know that there are bodies can run that are not a size six and flat-chested with no ass.
“They’re just misguided beliefs because they only have one set of lenses.”
She encourages other women not to be disheartened by such perceptions.
“I think for other runners, just do your thing.
“We come in all shapes and sizes and colours, and we just want to be fit and confident, and we’re confident enough to go running with a floppy bits.”
Even as she moves on from the incident, Eshow admits it will linger in her mind on future runs.
However, she hopes this experience will spark awareness and change for others.
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